Local Bear and Trash Ordinances

The county and city ordinances are both complaint-driven, meaning they require for residents to report bear and trash incidents to law enforcement agencies to be effective. Both basically read the same. You are asked to store your trash in a manner that makes it unavailable to bears and other wildlife. If bears get into your trash, and you have received a Notice of Violation, you are required to:

Store trash in a secure structure or bear-resistant trash container

Abide by time of placement schedules for placing trash container out for collection

LA PLATA COUNTY
The La Plata County Board of Commissioners adopted a Bear-Resistant Trash Container Ordinance in 2008. The ordinance is enforced by the La Plata County Sheriff’s Department and fines range from $200 to $500. County residents are asked to report incidents of bears getting into trash by calling Central Dispatch at 385-2900.

CITY OF DURANGO
The City of Durango adopted a City Wildlife Ordinance in 2010 and amended it in 2013 to include the requirement that trash containers not be placed out prior to 6 A.M. on the morning of collection. The ordinance is enforced by City Code Enforcement. Fines range from a Notice of Violation to $100. City residents are asked to report bear and trash incidents by calling Code Enforcement at 375-4930.

Penalties for violations of wildlife ordinances in Colorado are as follows: